On Adam Fletcher's first day as an apprentice (in The Smuggler's Gambit), he is placed under the instruction of Boaz Brooks, senior cooper and second-in-charge at the shipping company. Adam learns that Boaz was also forced into an apprenticeship when he was younger. As they share their personal histories, one of the topics that arises is the 1747 Spanish invasion of Beaufort. In book 2, Captured … [Read more...] about The Spanish Invasion of Beaufort: How slaves turned settlers became pawns in Spain’s hand
History
The Real Blackbeard: Get ready to have everything you thought you knew turned on its head
In The Smuggler's Gambit, one of the characters turns out to have a history with the pirate Blackbeard. As he recounts the experiences of his youth, he tells a different story than what legends and myths have had many of us believe over the years. I credit my good friend, Kevin Duffus, author of The Last Days of Black Beard the Pirate and North Carolina Historian of the Year (2015), with his … [Read more...] about The Real Blackbeard: Get ready to have everything you thought you knew turned on its head
What is the truth about the Lost Colony? – New insight into America’s oldest “mystery”
This isn't an article about Adam Fletcher. And it isn't even an article about Colonial Beaufort, or even Colonial America. This is about something that goes back even earlier... Recently, more than one television documentary has offered viewing audiences one spin after another about one of America’s favorite historical mysteries–the Lost Colony. Through my work with Coastal Carolina Indian … [Read more...] about What is the truth about the Lost Colony? – New insight into America’s oldest “mystery”
Five things you DIDN’T know about Blackbeard
In The Smuggler's Gambit, one of the characters is revealed to have a past connection to one of the most famous pirates who ever lived, Blackbeard. Growing up in eastern North Carolina, I heard all kinds of Blackbeard stories growing up. He had a close connection to the families in our coastal region, so it seemed only natural that I'd incorporate some of the lesser-known history about him into my … [Read more...] about Five things you DIDN’T know about Blackbeard